1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a current application device which applies a test current to a semiconductor element, and a manufacturing method of a semiconductor element which uses the same to carry out an inspection.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a semiconductor element testing device used for inspecting a semiconductor element is provided with a current application device which applies, to a semiconductor element, a test current for testing the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor element. Conventionally, as such a current application device, there has been known the one in which a test current is applied via a planar contact section (a probe) having a projection group composed of a plurality of projections arranged at predetermined intervals (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-218675).
In the current application device, a test current is applied by pressing a contact section against a semiconductor element by springs such that each of the projections constituting a projection group comes in contact with a contact area in an active area of the semiconductor element. At this time, the distal end of each projection penetrates an electrical insulation film, which covers a surface electrode of the semiconductor element, so as to come in contact with the surface electrode, thus allowing a test current to be applied to the semiconductor element.
When carrying out the testing as described above, the projections of the contact section are required to secure good contact with the surface electrode so as to test the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor element with higher accuracy.